CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
JAKE
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“We should get her out of there,” Cole says despite briefing him on the operation today, so I don’t know why he thinks that’s necessary.
He tried to get on the team. Josh said no. Then he side-eyed me, and I lifted my brows so fucking fast that he didn’t bother going there. This is why I left the force. There is no way he was going to sideline me.
Fuck that.
“She hasn’t been in danger before and won’t be today,” I tell Cole. “These kids are pulled off the street. Caylee is up at the office. Safe.”
“I don’t like it.” His voice is rough through the phone. “Ring me when it’s done.”
I promise, then hang up the phone.
Dread sinks into my gut, and I don’t know if it’s because I have a strong sense that Caylee is going to leave me. Or if it’s an instinct about the sting that’s about to go down.
Does Cole sense something also?
Knowing she’s right in the middle of it. Despite what I said about her being upstairs and ‘safe,’ no one ever is. Cole is right to be worried.
When Thomas spotted the email that sold Trinity Whitebrook on the sex trafficking market, including the date, the BHS team leaped into action.
In a few days, we’ve pulled an operation together to catch them in action. Hopefully.
We won’t have official support because, as Josh pointed out, we’d sourced the information illegally. Meaning it’s not able to be used as evidence or to get arrest warrants by the Feds.
“Who gives a fuck—we could save a young girl’s life,” Liam said when Agent Reed came into the office the next day. “Block your ears and take the information back to the office.”
You never heard anything, in other words.
It wouldn’t be the first time he’d been told that in his career, I’m sure of it.
“Or Thornton is setting you up.” Agent Reed rubbed his jaw, staring down at all the data we’d shared.
“Maybe.” Josh nodded. “Or maybe not.”
“No one here is willing to sit back and find out, Reed. Thomas has emailed you all the information, and while you might not be able to use it as evidence, information is information.”
He stared from face to face, then back at the incriminating email.
“You were asked to assist, and I don’t know by who but they’re responsible for whatever steps you take.
Lawfully or not” —Reed ran a hand through his blond hair— “this information is valuable, but all it does it confirm Thornton is our player. Given time, we could follow his trail and find out who he’s selling these kids to. ”
“Or we don’t, and another girl, and another, and another is taken,” I replied.
Reed lifted his head and studied me.
“You’re a Marshal.”
“Was. Deputy.” I nodded. “Worked with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for a time.”
“NCMEC,” Reed said, tilting his head. “So, you know how this works. Listen, I get it, the rest of you are used to being the extraction crew. Get in, get out, but that’s after years of fucking prep work.
“Fair,” Josh agreed.
“But how long have you been doing this? If we can save one girl, maybe do a little nudge-nudge interrogation, we might get some names out of this white-collar guy.”
“Fuck, don’t tell me you are going to torture a US citizen.” Reed palmed his forehead. “I need to go.”
Liam chuckled.
“He never said torture.” I smiled, crossing my arms.
“I wasn’t here. Email me the fucking information. We can’t assist, but I’ll drop a note to my buddies on the force and let them know to remain close to the area on Friday.”
Aidan, who had been quiet most of the meeting, pushed away from the wall. “Feel good about this, Agent. We are going to save a little girl's life.”
Reed glanced around at all of us. “I envy you. If I could be there and bring down just one of the fuckers, I would. But the law protects us all. I respect it. Just...make sure you do, too.”
Not a single one of us said a word.
Not that we didn’t agree.
But these people worked outside the law and had no respect for human life. I was clearly being influenced by the BHS way, and if I’m being honest, I wouldn’t have joined if I weren’t willing to overlook a few things to get the bad guy.
When he left, Josh slid his hands into his pockets and stared at the floor for a long minute. We all stood in contemplation along with him.
“We need some good guys following the rules, Josh,” Aidan reminded him. “Let him do his job.”
His deep, powerful eyes lifted and slowly roamed the room, taking each of us in.
“I was asked to help, and this is how we are doing it. Friday. Let’s get this done. No plates and protect your identity. “Josh said, planting his hands on his hips. “We’re about to disrupt the plans of some powerful and very rich people.”
Yeah, fuck.
“Aidan, you stay out of the field.”
“What? Why?” Aidan laughed. “I need some action. I’m not a desk guy, I’m going crazy.”
“Your kids need their father. This is dangerous. These people are dangerous,” Josh growled.
I couldn’t help it; Liam and I glanced at one another then burst out laughing. Aidan is a decorated US Marine.
Josh walked out without another word.
It was awkward.
As our laughter trailed off, we looked at Aidan.
“I’ll talk to him.” He grinned. “Get the teams together, and I’ll attend your briefing Friday morning.”
“Yes, sir,” I replied.
It meant I’d had a late night setting up for the operation and couldn’t see Caylee. When I woke, I messaged her to say I missed waking up with her.
It was true.
I asked if we were still having dinner. Depending on how the operation unfolded, she might not want to go out, but for now I had to act normal.
Something Caylee didn’t do.
Instead of one of her excited, sexy replies, I got a fucking thumbs up.
Another confirmation our relationship was over.
Right now, I had to focus on the job. It was three-forty-four, and my eyes were on the Thornton Dental building and searching for the traffickers to show up.
It seems cliché, but it was likely to be a white van or black SUV.
We’re looking for everything.
Trinity Whitebrook had shown up for her appointment earlier and is inside the building now. Her father is wandering nearby talking on the phone.
I want to shout at him to get back with his daughter, but we can’t interfere.
The Feds might not be able to intervene, but if we catch someone trying to kidnap a child or harming her, then we can absolutely have that person arrested.
Still, I’d prefer Trinity not to go through that kind of trauma.
Who knows, maybe Brad really is making fucking teddy bears.
I doubt it.
Sooner or later, this is going to impact Caylee. She’ll be unemployed, devastated to learn who she has been working for and have to deal with the reality of what happened to all those girls.
Girls who were her patients.
Brad Thornton won’t see the light of day...eventually. I have no doubt that the right people will make things happen.
“Everyone is in position,” Liam says from beside me in the passenger seat.
We watch Ryder walking slowly down the road on his phone, watching and waiting.
Aidan is back at the office, and I am unsure whether he pushed back or agreed with Josh.
When I say something to Liam, he says he has a theory.
“Share with the class.”
“Well, clearly they’re both special forces and have fought together, so it’s not like Josh doesn’t think he has the skill.”
“Fuck, no.” I shake my head.
“Okay, don’t repeat this. I think Josh and Cassy are trying to get pregnant.” Liam taps on a screen and keeps his eyes on the road while talking. “One of my pilot buddies in the Airforce went through this with his wife. It changed him.”
Shit.
“How?”
“The stress. They did IVF. Every time they looked like their world had ended.”
“Man, that sucks.”
I glance in the rear vision mirror and wonder if Caylee wants children. I assume she does. All her friends are getting married, having babies, and it’s the natural next step at her age.
Frustration makes me sigh and shift in my seat as I realize I’ll never be the man she has kids with. I’ll hear about her falling in love, getting married and becoming pregnant because I work with Cole.
I lower the window.
“You okay, man?”
“Yeah. Ready to catch these fuckers.”
“You and me both.” Liam points at the building. “Here’s your girl.”
My girl?
Caylee appears in the doorway of her building, and my heart starts pounding. What is she doing out here?
I glance the clock.
Three forty-five.
Go back upstairs!
A young girl walks with her outside and onto the sidewalk.
“Fuck,” I growl as they keep walking. “That’s Trinity.’
“Potential target on the sidewalk.” Liam murmurs into the radio.
“Roger that,” Ryder says.
“Roger,” both the other teams add.
We watch them spotting her father across the road. He’s in a black business shirt and has been on the phone for about fifteen minutes.
I could detail every single person in my sight for the past thirty minutes. Unnecessarily. We have cameras on our vehicles and a sniper. Still, you never know when technology is going to let you down.
Travis and his team got into the practice computer system and were able to provide us with a lot of information about Trinity.
Trinity Whitebrook. Fifteen. Born April 15, 2010. Her father is the CEO of an insurance company, and her mother is a stay-at-home mom.
She’s our potential target.
That term rolls around and around in my head as I watch Caylee stand protectively with her and force myself to stay in the fucking car.
Get out of here.
“Fuck,” I scramble for my phone to send her a message.
“Don’t.” Liam grabs my arm.
Shit.
I know he’s right, but—
Then it happens. In slow motion, I see the white unmarked van come around the corner, get too close to the curb and then Caylee and Trinity fucking vanish. But we hear them. With my window down, their muffled screams are loud enough to distinguish.
“Move, move, move! All teams move,” Ryder yells, and I see him run across the road. He swaps his phone for a gun.
I start the vehicle, my heart pounding as I watch Ryder round the back of the van. He ducks back sharply at the same time as we hear gunfire.
“Fuck,” Liam loads his weapon with a click. “Get behind them.”
Flooring it, I rip across the road and drive up on the sidewalk, barely missing Ryder as the van pulls away.
No!
They have Caylee!
I search for her on the empty sidewalk and in the gutter, but she’s gone. They’ve taken both the girl and...my girl!
What the fuck?
“Get in!” Liam screams at Ryder, who launches himself in the backseat as my brain catches up with what happened.
They’ve kidnapped Caylee.
“They have both the target and Caylee Zimbardo,” Liam yells, and I realize I’m not driving. “All teams in pursuit.”
Why the fuck did they take her?
My foot hits the peddle. Street after street, I’m heavy on the gas, catching up with the fast-moving van, running lights and dodging pedestrians.
It takes no more than another thirty seconds for me to acknowledge the situation we’re in.
We let the girl be taken.
And if we don’t intercept this van, if we don’t get Caylee back, she’s dead.
She’s collateral damage—has zero value to them—and they will kill her.